Internship & Volunteer Opportunities

Internships

The National Museum of Natural History offers internships in the Department of Vertebrate Zoology with emphasis on the current research initiatives of the staff. An internship at Natural History is a prearranged, structured learning experience scheduled within a specific time frame. The experience must be relevant to the intern's academic goals, and matched to to the Vertebrate Zoology Department's research and museum activities. An internship is performed under the direct supervision of Smithsonian staff. Internship appointments should be for at least six weeks and require a minimum commitment of 16 hour per week.

Education level: Undergraduate or beginning level graduate students; some advanced placement high school students (must be at least 16 years of age).Stipend: None; academic credit can sometimes be obtained.Deadline: Accepted year round.Term: Determined for each position.

If you are interested internships in the Natural History museum, please contact the museums's Internship Coordinator, Mary Sangrey, and visit the museum's website for Student Opportunities here.

Be a Volunteer!

The Department of Vertebrate Zoology offers opportunities for both intern and volunteer positions. You can find intern and volunteer project lists here which encompasses the entire Museum of Natural History.

For other volunteer opportunities here in our department and around the entire Smithsonian Institution please visit the Behind-the-Scenes web site. Managed centrally through the Visitor Information and Associates' Reception Center (VIARC), the Smithsonian Institution's Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer Program offers challenging alternatives to the more public-oriented volunteer activities. This program recruits and places individuals who wish to contribute their time to specific areas of study within the Institution. Volunteers in this program work with staff members on both short-term and long-term projects.

Placements are determined by matching volunteer qualifications, interests, knowledge, and availability with project needs. A minimum time commitment of 6 hours per week during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, is required. For a list of volunteer projects, including those available for the Department of Vertebrate Zoology, visit the Behind-the-Scenes web site.